Like him or not, you’ve got to admit that Urban Meyer is a sharp cookie. So he’s realistic in acknowledging where his offense’s bread is buttered this year, regardless of all the put-Tebow-under-center talk being teased out there.

… Gators coach Urban Meyer wants to make sure Tebow wouldn’t get knocked around before taking him out of the shotgun formation.

“A lot of that would depend on the quality of our tailback,” Meyer said at SEC media days. “To play an under-center offense, you better have a monster back there at tailback that can take the pounding involved in that style of offense. It’s personnel based on your fullback, tailback and tight end, and we have not had that luxury.”

Well, yeah, but whose fault is that? Could it be that’s where you wind up when you’ve run an offensive scheme during your entire head coaching career that’s never produced a running back who rushed for 1,000 yards in a season?

I was having lunch with my Bama-fan relatives yesterday and they were trying to stir up stuff with me, since I am a Dog fan. Then, one of them commented that 2010 should be a great year for Bama and that Urban wouldn’t be anything without Tebow.

It didn’t come to me until after lunch when we had parted ways, but I thought, “well, people probably thought Utah wouldn’t be much without Urban and the Tide fans felt the error in that thinking first hand.”

1. as successful on offense after Tebow leaves
2. running the same offense as they have w/ TT
3. as good on D as they were last/will be this year. It’s highly unusual to have that much talent and depth coincide.
4. the same team w/o TT as with. He truly is a one-in-a-blue moon player and leader. I thought Darren McFadden deserved the Heisman two years ago b/c, simply, he was the best player in CFB. He did it all for ARK. But Tebow won b/c he was/is such a spark for his team – emotionally, physically, leadershipally (I know).

Remember, the Gators won the NC w/o Tebow as a primary weapon. Their D that year was terrific and terrible the next. I see them competing for the SEC every year with Meyer – but not winning the close games or the big games as often.

W/o Meyer, they take a step or two or three back. SOS was the best and Meyer is the best. Rarely, RARELY, does a program have that much consistent talent at coach.

For perspective – would anyone have ever thought that the mighty Nebraska Cornhuskers struggled as they have? After the ’94 and ’95 teams? No way. And look at them now. If Meyer leaves, all bets are off.